What I Learned by Reverse-Engineering Sargent’s Lady Agnew of Lochnaw

One of the first things that struck me about Lady Agnew of Lochnaw was how Sargent painted details- not by rendering them meticulously, but by suggesting them with a few confident strokes. As a photographer, I’m often lensing the sharp details of reality, but Sargent reminded me that it’s not always about exacting precision. It’s about knowing what to emphasize and what to let dissolve into the background. His approach is a masterclass in visual storytelling: highlight the essence at the absolute minimum, and let the mind of the viewer fill in the rest.